Dumbing Yourself Down
by leiamoo
Summary: "Evie, you don't have to dumb yourself down to get a guy. You're so smart!" A moment from Descendants 1. This one-shot is Evie/Doug, of course!


"Evie, you don't have to dumb yourself down to get a guy. You're so smart!"

() () ()

Doug turned the page in his Algebra book. He popped a pretzel into his mouth and shifted the textbook a little closer. Crossing out his previous answer, he began the problem again. He glanced at the girl next to him, lying on the floor of her dorm room surrounded by homework, her chin propped up on the hand she wasn't writing with.

Evie smiled to herself as she finished another chemistry equation and checked to ensure her work was correct.

_I like chemistry. I like working hard. I like getting correct answers. I like not hiding._

This had become a weekly ritual for them - on evenings when he didn't have band practice, he wound up doing homework with Evie in her room. Sometimes, Mal or Ben or Carlos joined them. Evie had never enjoyed studying before, but something about having Doug nearby made even rote memorization more fun. And there was no denying it: she had an aptitude for science.

_Oh no oh no oh no - I have to find a prince with a castle and a mother-in-law wing and princes don't fall in love with girls who are smart - they fall in love with girls who are beautiful._

At that moment, a frown crossed Evie's face. She realized she had completed each of the past twelve equations correctly. She hurriedly flipped her paper over and erased the answers to four of the problems, replacing them with incorrect ones.

"Why do you do that?"

Evie glanced up, trying not to look guilty. Doug was staring at her.

_What if he knows I change my answers on every assignment?_

"Do what?" she asked, swallowing and reaching up to brush her hair behind her ear. She doubted batting her eyelashes would get her out of this one.

"You know what. You always change your answers so you get a lower grade."

_Oh no oh no oh no - he pays attention. He knows I'm a fake and I will never find a prince with a castle and a mother-in-law wing and I will be alone forever and mother will-_

Evie laughed nervously. It came out sounding hollow and lifeless, so different from the full-bellied laughs she often gave in his presence. She averted her eyes, looking at other things in the room in order to avoid his stare.

"Doug, I assure you - I would earn low grades no matter what."

"That's not true, and you know it." His voice was firm.

_Why does she do this? She's obviously smart. Does she think pretending to be dumb will make guys like her? Does she realize how attractive she is without even trying?_

She looked up at him. He wasn't smiling, and he wasn't fidgeting with his collar or staring at his toes like he often did in her presence - he was staring straight at her, waiting for a response. She opened her mouth, then closed it. Evie swallowed again.

"Doug, please don't-"

"Don't what?" he interrupted, "Don't ask why you won't believe in yourself? Don't tell you you're selling yourself short? Don't get angry when you pretend to be a bimbo, thinking it makes you attractive!?"

_Oh no oh no oh no - he figured it out. He knows I'm hopeless and fake and I will never find a prince with a castle and a mother-in-law wing._

Evie sat up abruptly. She slammed her chemistry book shut and threw it toward her bed. Doug flinched.

"I don't want to talk about this. I think you should go."

Doug stared at her for a few tense moments, then shrugged and gathered his belongings and left.

She did not move from her spot on the floor for a very long time.

() () ()

Toward the end of the next day's Chemistry class, Mr. Delay returned their homework assignments. After he circled the room handing the papers back, he stopped at Evie and Doug's station.

"I would like to take a moment to recognize Miss Evie, who achieved the only perfect score on last night's homework!" he announced.

_Oh no oh no oh no - everyone will know - what do I do - mom will kill me - this is terrible._

There were surprised gasps from around the room, and Evie blushed and stared down at the "A+" written in red on her paper. Doug stared at her until she finally met his gaze.

She smiled a smile that was just for him, and reached out to rest her hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you," she whispered as she gave his shoulder a squeeze.

_Maybe it will be okay._

Doug nodded.

_You're attractive no matter what._


End file.
